Improvement in combined arm-chair and step-ladder



w. WITTHOFT. Combined Arm flhair and Step-Ladder.

No. 2o ,205. Pat e nted July 23,1878.

WFMEESEE- E E ImvEhTuK g g a 5% PETERS. FHDTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASMNG'TOM D104 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM VITTHOFT, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINED ARM-CHAIR AND STEP-LADDER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,205, dated July 23, 1878; application filed May 13, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WITTHOFT, of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Arm Chair and StepLadder; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in combined arm-chair and step-ladder; and it consists in making the back of the chair adjustable back and forth and forming the steps of the ladder directly upon its rear side, so that the back and ladder are formed in a single piece, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings represent my invention, of which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the combined arm-chair and step-ladder, with one of the arms cut away to show the slots. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation, showing the step-ladder ready for use.

A represents the seat of the arm-chair, supported upon the legs a a and a, a, the front pair a a being prolonged above seat A into standards b I), which incline upward and backward toward the back of the chair 0, while the screw-heads b b are inserted vertically in the top of each standard and projecting beyond 1 it. To the rear of the seat A is hinged the movable back 0, its frame 0 cbeing prolonged below the hinges so that it just swings clear of the floor. To the sides of the back are pivoted, at d (I, the movable arms D D, to the under sides of which are attached the plates (1 d, pierced with a row of slots, which are bored into the arms beyond the plates. These slots are designed to receive the screw-heads b b, and both together form a device by means of which the the back of the arm-chair is locked firmly in place at any desired angle with the seat. The adjustable frame a 0 of back 0 projects behind the upholstery or padding which forms its front face, and carries any desirable number of steps, 0 e, which are held in place in any suitable manner transversely between the sides 0 0, thus forming a convenient stepladder for use in a library or otherwise.

It will readily be seen that, by setting the screw-heads in the slots of the movable arms, any desirable incline can be given to the back 0, while if the last or rearward slots are used the back may be thrown forward and firmly locked, having on its rearward surface a steady and convenient step-ladder with a suitable in- 'cline.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A chair having steps formed directly upon the rear surface of its back, so that the back and ladder will be formed in a single piece, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of the hinged adjustable back 0 and frame 0 0, provided with steps 0, with its pivoted arms D D, furnished with slotted plates (1 d, and the seat A, standards b b, and screw-heads b b, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 6th day of May, 1878.

WVILLIAM WITTHOFT. [L.s.]

Vitnesses AUGUST Wrrrnorr, S. D. CRANE. 

